Full field for Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at Sandown
A massive field of 16 sprinters will duke it out at Sandown on Saturday afternoon in a bid to add their name to the Oakleigh Plate honour roll.
Three Group 1 winners are set to line up in the 1100m scamper, with Roch ‘N’ Horse, Lombardo and Masked Crusader all looking to return in fine style.
In what is an open edition of the Oakleigh, Henry Dwyer’s Asfoora has opened a $5 favourite with online bookmakers following the barrier draw.
The four-year-old mare has not been seen since winning the Group 3 Begonia Belle Stakes on October 29 and will be looking to build on what was a breakout campaign for the up-and-coming sprinter.
A win in the race would hand Dwyer his third Group 1 win and his first since 2016.
Having strung together four wins this campaign, I Am Me will be looking to build on her Listed Canterbury Sprint success and, from barrier one under Jamie Kah, looks set to gain every favour in running.
Chain Of Lightning was a tough watch for her backers when she resumed with a third-place finish in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes, beaten under a length despite not being fully tested.
Lofty Strike was the one who took advantage of Chain Of Lightning’s hard luck, launching down the heart of the Sandown circuit to signal his intent for the Oakleigh Plate.
With three wins from three starts at 1100m, Julius Sandhu may not get a better chance to bring up his first win at Group 1 level as a trainer.
Ben Thompson is another who will be chasing his maiden Group 1 success when he jumps aboard fellow Queenslander Uncommon James, who managed to split Lofty Strike and Chain Of Lightning in his first run back since picking up an injury in the spring.
Plenty of market movement is expected before the Oakleigh Plate jumps at 5:40pm AEDT on Saturday.
2023 Oakleigh Plate final field
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